A conclusion reached at a conference on the promotion of inclusion through adult literacy indicates a strong link between illiteracy and unemployment, the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC), the organisers of the conference, said.

ETC statistics show that, as at the end of last May, 14 per cent of job seekers were illiterate. This was made up of 17 per cent of male job seekers and three per cent of female job seekers. This represents a drop of three per cent in the illiteracy rate when compared to three years ago. Illiteracy is most common in the 45 - 54 age bracket.

The illiteracy rate of job seekers aged under 30 stands at 7.6 per cent, the ETC said.

In view of this situation, the ETC has embarked on a number of projects to improve the literacy levels of those seeking employment. Between May last year and this May, the ETC trained 844 people in literacy. The largest number of participants was in the 25-39 age bracket.

ETC provides literacy training in several villages, including its training complex in Ħal Far and the Jesuit Paolo Freire Institute in Żejtun.

The ETC is collaborating with employers to be able to provide training to address illiteracy at the place of work.